Elevator

It isn’t often that an artist grabs me right off the bat. I usually browse through their songs for a while before I connect with them, sit and think about what they say, and come to an educated decision as to whether or not to continue exploring their work. For every artist you see featured on this website, there are dozens more that simply did not make the cut. Once in a great while, however, a song will stop my world. It will reach through my speakers and pull me in fast, holding me there until it is finished. Meet Watson: one of the first artists to make me stop everything and listen to his entire EP before continuing on with my life. Watson has a unique approach to his rap career. While most of his colleagues glorify drugs, sex, violence and a self centered mentality, Watson uses his music to inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle. He asks what it means to be human. He explores struggles and encourages his listeners to overcome impossible odds. I listened to Watson’s entire EP three times in the first day, and showed it to my coworkers and family. From the first song I knew that I had stepped into something different. I empathized with him through the first three tracks, laughed during “Girls with Curves“, nodded fiercely to “Words are Bullets“, and cried as “Father O Father” touched my heart. Watson is a preacher in his own right, spreading a message of hope and love to crowds of fans. As you will see in our interview, Watson’s material originates from a life of conquering odds that no man should have to face. He quickly joined the ranks of my favorite artists, sitting in my top 4 with Malece Miller, Spence Mills, and Soren Bryce Martin. I am proud to stand by him and I look forward to supporting whatever Watson decides to do next!

INTERVIEW

1. Your new EP, “Regeneration”, takes listeners through struggles and insights that often stem from your past. Can you tell us a little more of your story and what brought you to this point?

[Watson] Well, it is kind of a long story. But, I struggled for years with bad substence abuse problems. I was using IV drugs for a series of years, until I got sober in 2010. Before that I would just go in and out of institutions, half-way houses and ended up homeless for a little bit. My family is filled with drug addiction and alcoholism, I have been watching my father struggle with his dependency for over a decade. I was just lucky and blessed to have been able to receive the gift of sobriety. Before the drugs and alcohol cam into my life, music was my escape. I am a drummer by trade, and just lost a love for music when the drugs took over. However, when I had been sober for a few years I knew I wanted to start writing again and try and share my experience with others.

2. The first time I listened to your music, I thought I was listening to Macklemore. Did he have any influence on your style?

[Watson] Haha, yes! Macklemore had a huge influence on my music. Not just my style, but why I make the kind of hip hop I do. When I saw someone step out and make positive hip hop again, it encouraged me to want to write more. Back in the day on the music I grew up with, you would hear hip hop artist talking about the drugs and streets and violence, but they were telling you how bad they wanted out of it, and how much they hated it. And today, it feels like hip hop has really turned into nothing but glorifying that kind of life style, and I have personally lived that lifestyle for years, and there is nothing glorious about not being able to eat or have somewhere to sleep or robbing somebody. Honestly it is just an incredibly sad and lonely way to live. That being said, I do think some of it is catchy, I would just prefer to write music that people connect with and can listen to for years. Macklemore kinda gave me the boost to want to do it, and the whole Seattle hip hop scene right now is on fire. I absolutely love Seattle hip hop!

3. What is your vision for your music?

[Watson] My vision for my music is to make something that touches others. Whether I’m speaking about good or bad times, I want to make music that resonates in people’s heads. Music can take me to so many places in my head, and I want to allow others to feel that same way, because it is an amazing feeling!

4. You recently released your first music video for “Regeneration”. Any cool video ideas for the future?

[Watson] Actually there are some more video ideas. I will be releasing a video for Father O’ Father in the next few weeks, along with finishing some filming for Living For This. And when I return home from tour in August I will be filming the video for Girls With Curves and possibly Tale Of Two. But, we are hitting the road for a few weeks again in the fall and are trying to do the A3C festival in Atlanta along with a couple shows at SXSW so we will see how much time we have.

5. I noticed one of your beats was produced by Spence Mills. How did the two of you come into contact?

[Watson] Spence is an amazing producer. And I found him online, I spend hours and hours online listening to beats before one really clicks with me. I really enjoy beats that use real instruments, and that are well produced. Spence’s beats are all of those. It is one thing to have beats that sound ok through computer monitors, but when I take my beats into an actual studio to record, it is nice to not have to have the engineer do anymore leveling or mastering and Spence really has an ear for music.

6. What’s new Watson?

[Watson] Well, a lot is new for me right now. I have never had the opportunity to take my music on the road, and right now we are in the middle of a 42 date tour. We have been all around the country this summer and won’t be done until our last show in Raleigh on the 27th. I knew that I really wanted to give this my all, and because of my awesome friends and managers we have. All together we’re working about 120+ hours a week for about 6 months getting this tour together, and it has been amazing. We didn’t have any label, no big finance department, just a lot of hard work and a dream. People now a days think that you can drop a few songs and videos, and magically end up in a Bentley. However, it takes putting every drop of energy and love into yourself to make it in this industry. I get to every town about 8 hours early and walk the streets handing out flyers and CD’s, and that is what it takes, and I am more than cool with doing it!

7. Can you give us a few trivia facts about yourself?

[Watson] I love new school tattoos, and the majority of the merch I sell has a tattoo that I personally have on it. I have been in love with an amazing girl for the past two years, who was the inspiration for Girls With Curves & Fights and Sacrifices. I have never been west past Mississippi until I went on this national tour this summer. And, before I started taking music more seriously I was a junior accounting major.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Watson inspired and challenged me with his intelligent lyrics. He excited me with his style and turned my thoughts to the people around me. The combination of high quality art and a heart for others shot him to the top of the list of artists that OOTWW will do its best to promote. If you’d like to explore his work for yourself, you can find him: